1. Field of Art
The field of art to which the invention pertains includes the field of buffing pad assemblies, particularly with respect to a pad assembly forming a continuous surface of buffing material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional buffing pad structures are used in conjunction with a back-up or support pad that typically is made of rubber, fiber or plastic and is affixed to a power tool. The buffing pad is then affixed to the support pad with a tie string as in the case of a lambskin bonnet, or can be held by a retainer nut which is threadably attached to the spindle of the power tool. In most commercial applications, it is desirable that the buffing pad-support pad assembly be flexible for the purpose of more closely following the contours of the surface to be polished. However, the flexing of the assembly frequently results in burning the surface because of the increased pressure at the edge. For the purpose of minimizing the risk of burning, buffing structures frequently contain rounded edges or extremely soft support pads. However, this type of structure is more costly to produce than a flat structure and has the effect of making the edge portion of the buffing material unavailable for use.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,418,675; 3,413,674; 351,737; 2,469,429; 1,779,682; 1,687,071; 2,227,588; 2,644,280, and British Pat. No. 727,595, published Apr. 6, 1955.
The present invention provides a soft edge surface buffing pad when the pad is flexed in any direction. The pad structure is such that burning of the work surface by the buffing pad is eliminated. The entire buffing pad assembly is relatively inexpensive and can be discarded when used. A variety of support disc arrangements can be provided for particular applications.